Our Leadership

Brian Kelsey is Vice President of Programs and Strategy at Heartland Forward, a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank focused on accelerating economic growth, changing the narrative about the middle of the country and generating $500M of economic impact to the heartland by 2030.

Brian has worked in economic development since 2000, serving in various leadership roles at the national and local levels, including positions at the National Association of Development Organizations, the Economic Development Administration, Nashville-Davidson County and Edinburg, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley.

Prior to joining Heartland Forward in 2026, Brian was an economic development consultant to private and public sector clients. He was a Texas-based member of EY’s Economic Development Advisory Services practice from 2022 to 2025, and earlier in his career, founded Civic Analytics in Austin, an economic research and data analytics firm.

Brian has been an adjunct faculty member at The University of Texas at Austin, helping to recruit the next generation of heartland economic developers, and is a frequent public speaker on economic trends and how they impact states and communities. He has a master’s degree in public affairs from UT-Austin and a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated with highest distinction.